Gianni is one of the people I work with in my new job. He's about 19 and came from Italy a year or two ago. He works the appetizer station, but comes around to my side when he gets ready to fix his dinner because I have the burners and the pasta pot he needs. What he does is simple, elegant, and just plain good.
salted water, brought to a boilBring salted water to a boil and add pasta. While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet to medium high heat and add
pasta (your choice)
2 tablespoons olive oilAs the tomatoes cook, they will soften and sort of fall apart. That's what you want. When the pasta is about a minute from being done, take a ladle and spoon some of the pasta water into the tomatoes. The starch in the water helps thicken the sauce. Turn the heat up to help the sauce reduce. At the last minute add
8-10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons basil chiffonadeDrain pasta and add to sauce in skillet. Stir together and then put onto a plate. You can also sprinkle with grated cheese, if you like. (I like.)
Simple. Easy. Good. That's hard to beat.
Peace,
Milton
5 Comments:
I adore tomatos and basil, so I know I'd love this, but what is basil chiffonade?
Basil chiffonade is basil leaves stacked together, rolled up, and then thinly sliced. It's an easy way to chop up the leaves.
Thanks for explaining, Robert. I made one small addition -- add cheese if you want. I do.
Peace,
Milton
since cherry tomatoes are horrendously expensive here - I'd chop 2-3 small tomatoes into four (or six) pieces and it would work as beautifully.
I think
The tip about the starch from the water is a good one :) thanks
Lorna
I'm all for more affordable. I'm growing cherry tomatoes, so the price is right for me.
Peace,
Milton
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